Alinea’s iconic tabletop dessert is available to go—and Chicagoans are obsessed

Throughout its 15-year history in Lincoln Park, fine-dining destination Alinea has delighted diners with some truly iconic dishes, like the gravity-defying edible ballon and the indulgent black truffle explosion. But perhaps most famous of all is chef Grant Achatz's grand finale: a sweet masterpiece that's plated directly on your table by a choreographed staff. Servers move around the dining room, covering tabletops with splatters of sauce, bits of candy and crumbles of cake.

When the three-Michelin-star restaurant debuted its six-course anniversary menu last month, diners were delighted to see that it included everything they'd need to recreate the spectacle-worthy dessert at home. Achatz must have taken notice, because the dessert has made its way onto Alinea's newest takeout offering, the six-course Spring Collection Tasting Menu, with pickup windows open now through June 5.

The latest iteration of the dessert includes flavors of dark chocolate, tropical fruits, peanuts and vanilla. Diners are instructed to check out YouTube videos of how the course is plated at Alinea, but you can also watch Achatz tackle the DIY challenge himself on Instagram.

Of course, Chicagoans have been showing off their next-level plating skills all over social media—and some of them could probably snag a part-time gig at the dining institution, if only to help out with dessert. Keep scrolling to see some of the best presentations we've seen so far.

And if you want to know what the full takeout experience looks like, check out this video from Number Six With Cheese, a Chicago-based comedic food review channel.

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